What a great way to start the year – the slopes are in perfect condition, the sun is out and there’s enough snow to last us all season! Here’s to a fun-filled 2013 from us all at Chalet Balthazar!

The lifts are opening EARLY (this week end) due to heavy snowfall.  So grab the opportunity for some amazing pre-Christmas powder skiing.  We still have some availability for the week before Christmas (15th – 22nd December) and some weeks left in January!  Temperatures are dropping to minus 20 next week so wrap up warm on the slopes!

The locals are celebrating as Villars is all set for the season with heavy snow fall and low temperatures all week!

TGV and Eurostar are linking up this winter season to offer a brilliant new train service from London St Pancreas to Aigle.  The journey will only take 7hrs 50 minutes with trains departing every Saturday throughout the season from 22nd December to 13 April and prices are from only GBP135 return!  The Saturday morning 6.57am Eurostar will link up with the TGV Lyria at Lille to offer travellers a relaxing and hassle free journey to Villars this winter.

A heavy dump of snow fell in late October which transformed the meadows to glorious snowfields once more.  This early snow fall will help the ground to firm up and is good news all round. With lifts due to open on 15th December there’s not long to wait until those skis can be clipped on again …..

As the leaves are turning on the lower mountain slopes and before the first snow fall arrives it is a stunning time to go biking.  We hired bikes from Chalet Balthazar and biked the stunning 12km circuit to Les Plans with my father (age 75 and daughter  age 8!)  We rode all the way down to Bex and took the mountain train back to Chalet Balthazar. For those with more puff all of the mountain ascents up to 2,500m are still open.

The open pool at Villeneuve on the banks of Lac Leman is a great spot for all the family and a well kept secret amongst the locals. The backdrop of the mountains towering above makes for a truly magnificent setting.  There are diving boards into the fresh water lake, a small beach, cafe, table tennis and two pools for all to enjoy and only a 25 minute drive from Chalet Balthazar!

If you are in Villars next week don’t miss the 2nd Villars-Gryon Official Jumping Competition from 5th – 15th July.  This is a really colourful and exhilarating show with lots of festivities and entertainment for all ages. Located in the lower car park of the telecabine in Villars. Enjoy!

Don’t miss out on the fun Vaud wine tasting week end on 26th / 27th May. We recommend you head to Ollon and for only CHF 15 you can try wine from over 300 caves! There is free transport and you are even given a glass to wear in a bag around your neck! Very quaint and highly recommended by the Balthazar team!

The ski season officially ended in Villars last week (15th April) despite the vast amount of snow still on the pistes.  All lifts are now closed but there is still some incredible skiing to be had on the glacier which remains open.  While we wait for summer to arrive and the snow to melt, it’s a perfect time to go hiking.